In Hindsight
by SakuraLetters
Summary: ...maybe putting a hyper witch in charge of a short-tempered alchemist, no matter how well she spoke Amestrian, wasn't the best idea...kitty-chimera!Ed, 5th year Hogwarts, ordered chaos, and the occasional throwing people off towers. Rated for Ed's mouth.
1. Of Transmutations and Graveyards

**Hello, everyone! Welcome to the first chapter of "In Hindsight"! This is the actual fic that came about roughly the same time as my other crossover, "Of Astronomy Towers and Chimeras". I hope this story is up to par and pleases you. This is fully intended to be a dramedy, (drama + comedy = dramedy) so there will be plenty of humor. **

**EDIT: I went back and changed 'emancipated' to 'emaciated'. I speed type a lot, and Word only alerts me to misspelled words. Sorry about that! 3/9/10 (I have no idea where my head's been lately. T.T)  
**

**Disclaimer: I, SakuraLetters, do not own Harry Potter or Fullmetal Alchemist. They are owned by J.K. Rowling and Hiromu Arakawa, respectively. I do, however, own Kyra Larkston and the plot.  
**

* * *

The room was dark; all connections to the outside world were dealt with: the doors were locked and the windows were transmuted into the wall. No one would interrupt them; Edward had made sure of it.

The transmutation circle was drawn on the ground and the brothers went through the final preparations. This was it: Al was going to get his body back even if Ed had to sacrifice himself entirely to the Gate. Of course, Edward didn't tell Al that. Alphonse would never let him go through with it if he knew. _"We promised to get our bodies back together," _Al would say, _"and besides, Winry would be sad if you didn't come back."_

"Is everything ready, Brother?"

"Yep. Everything is perfect." Edward was suddenly struck by the oddest sense of déjà-vu. He had said those exact same words five years ago, when they had been foolish enough to try to bring back their mother. He shook it off; there was no turning back. "You ready Al?"

"You know it!"

They got into position and Ed slammed his hands down on the circle. The light from the transmutation was the last thing he remembered.

* * *

A cemetery is normally a quiet, solemn place where humans come to mourn their dead. Today, however, another corpse was being laid into the ground. Friends and family dressed in black and caught in the vast realm between denial and full-fledged weeping surround the hole where the casket was to be placed. A young girl with wavy blond hair and sea-green eyes filled with sorrow stood in the crowd, clutching the hand of a boy with white-blond hair.

The pastor finished the service and the casket was lowered and the grave was filled. The boy held the girl close as she trembled against him. Whether it was from the chilly dampness in the air or her body's absolute refusal to cooperate with her want to cry, he didn't know.

"I can't believe Mom's gone," the girl whispered as she looked at the gravestone. In all honesty, the marker was no different from the other markers. A slab of cold polished marble bearing an inscription of the dead's name, birth date, and death date. Carvings of angels and lilies surrounded the words. She knelt in front of the ground, ignoring the dirt staining her dress, and gently placed a hand on the fresh soil. A strand of ivy poked up from the ground on either side of the stone and slowly crept up the rough edges to meet in the center. Tiger lilies rose up and bloomed around the base.

"Mom loved ivy and tiger lilies. I had asked the gravediggers to plant the seeds for me before the funeral. Oh, God, Draco I miss her already!"

"I know, Kyra. I know," Draco Malfoy said as he held his girlfriend of two years.

Kyra had been closest to her mother, and Trisha Larkston's death had really affected the fifteen-year-old. She wasn't exactly close to her father, and from what Draco understood, life in the Larkston household had become increasingly awkward.

"Kyra," Robert Larkston said, a tad hesitant. The couple turned to see Kyra's father, a prominent politician, standing by the small road. "I've got to go back to the office. I'll see you at dinner?"

"Yes, Dad. See you at dinner."

Kyra didn't blame her father for wanting to flee the cemetery—she wanted to herself—and most certainly didn't hate him for it. Her mother's death had forced them to rethink their relationship as father and daughter. Up until now, Robert's career as a politician had been extremely important and often kept him from his family. It wasn't a lack of love; in fact it was quite the opposite. Robert's goal had been to try to initiate social and political reform—to create a better future for his daughter and the other children of America. In exchange, their relationship was rather stunted.

"Draco, can we go home? I really need a security blanket right now."

"A marathon of your Snoopy tapes and hot chocolate?"

Kyra smiled at him. "You know me so well."

* * *

At Hogwarts, hidden away deep in the mountains countryside of Scotland, Albus Dumbledore was dealing with a rather unusual situation. On one bed in the infirmary sat Cornelia Haverbrook, the Alchemy teacher, and on another lie a boy with fuzzy cat ears poking out of his head and a cat's tail.

Cornelia had nearly had a heart attack when the boy had unceremoniously—and quite literally—dropped into her classroom from a glowing circle. A second boy had fallen out as well, and had been quickly rushed to St. Mungo's due to an extremely emaciated form.

The boy who was still at Hogwarts was small and had golden blonde hair bound into a braid. What called the most attention, however, were the mechanical limbs attached to his body.

"Minerva, I do believe we need to contact Miss Larkston. We may very well be in need of her help."

* * *

The ringing of the telephone fought to be heard over the sounds coming from the TV. Draco and Kyra were on the couch, Kyra cuddled up close to Draco and a blanket draped over them.

"Ugh. I'll get it," Kyra said, not bothering to mention that Draco's skills with Muggle devices still left much to be desired. Rather reluctantly, the blonde emerged from the blanket cocoon the two had created and stumbled over to the phone.

"Hello? Professor? What is it, what's wrong?" Kyra's questions caught Draco's attention. Which professors did they know that could place a Muggle phone and not seem idiotic? Better yet: what Hogwarts professor could place a long-distance overseas call and not seem pathetic? The look on Kyra's face told Draco everything he needed to know. "I see. We'll be ready."

"What's wrong?" Draco asked as Kyra hung up and returned the phone to its cradle.

"That was Professor Burbage."

"The _Muggle Studies_ professor?"

The look on Kyra's face told him he had said it with a twinge of malice. Old habits die hard, particularly bad ones. Still, Kyra decided to leave it at that and continue the original conversation. "Apparently Professor Haverbrook had quite a nasty shock this morning."

"What happened?"

"Two boys fell out of a glowing circle that appeared on the ceiling of the Alchemy classroom. Now get your stuff together, love; we're going to Hogwarts a little early this year."

* * *

**Yes, yes, I know! CanonOC romance! However, in this story they have been dating for about two years (and yes, Lucius is still clueless that his son is dating a Muggle-born) and Kyra's a driving force against Voldemort and the Death Eaters, same as Dumbledore and Harry. So, she's getting slandered too, although not to the same extent. (When I think of their relationship, the song "I'll Make A Man Out Of You" from Mulan comes to mind.) Draco is one of my favorite characters, and I just think to myself: what if he had clued in _here_ and done _this_ differently. As for where their bf/gf relationship started, I'm thinking after Christmas in third year.  
**

**And yes, I've decided to be nice and give Al his body back. As for the cat part of it all...we all know Al. Just be grateful it wasn't a full kitten. (Poor Ed...) I'm still debating whether or not to put Ed in as a student or as an assistant teacher to either Umbridge or Haverbrook. **

**Remember, reviews make me happy!**

**-SakuraLetters  
**


	2. Of Translations and Blunt Objects

**Hello again, my readers! Welcome to the second chapter of "In Hindsight"! (I know I should be working on "Utopian Requiem", but I've hit some pretty impressive writer's block there.) I've been up to my eyeballs in homework, memorizing lines for the school play, and practicing for the archery team. Anyway, I hope this chapter's up to snuff!**

_"People speaking Amestrian"_**  
**

**Disclaimer: I, SakuraLetters, do not own Harry Potter or Fullmetal Alchemist. They are owned by J.K. Rowling and Hiromu Arakawa, respectively. I do, however, own Kyra Larkston and the plot.**

* * *

Hogwarts somehow felt different in mid July, Draco noted as he followed Kyra and McGonagall down the corridor. Kyra had considered the castle a scene pulled out of her storybooks and Draco had seen several paintings of different parts of the castle in her room. She was really quite talented with a paintbrush…

"Draco?"

Kyra's voice pulled the wizard out of his thoughts. The women were standing at the door to the infirmary and Kyra was looking at him expectantly.

"What?"

"I said: when I figure out what language this boy speaks, I'll need you to go with Professor McGonagall and maybe help Professor Snape with the language potion."

"Why?"

"That way he won't be overwhelmed. Besides, Professor Snape has to make enough of that potion for two people, 'cause I'm pretty sure the other boy doesn't speak English."

"I guess…"

A smile lighting up her face, Kyra entered the infirmary, her teacher and her boyfriend following.

* * *

Of the first things Kyra noticed when she first spotted the boy was his ears. _Like cat ears… I think I wanna…touch 'em… _A quick check to make sure the boy was asleep, and she reached out and rubbed his ears. She eeped in surprised when the boy's hands flew up and latched onto her wrists, his right hand with an inhuman grasp.

"You're awake," Kyra stated in English, not yet knowing what language he spoke.

"_Who are you?"_ Kyra recognized the language; her great-grandfather had taught it to her when she was younger. Now that she thought about, the resemblance was rather stunning…

"_I'm Kyra Larkston,"_ she answered, and then twisted to look at McGonagall. "He's speaking Amestrian. _Could you please let go of my wrists now? My left wrist is starting to hurt."_ Her tone was light and crisp, a tone she often used with strangers and public officials. McGonagall nodded and she and Draco exited the room.

"_Where's Al?"_

"_Al? Was that the boy who fell out of the ceiling with you?"_ As soon as the words left her mouth, Kyra mentally kicked herself. How crazy did she sound?

"_He's got his body back?"_

Kyra blinked, noticing his eyes held a strained hope. She had seen those eyes before, when her mother entered remission the sixth (and final) time. It was the look of someone who didn't dare feel hope.

"_Yes…and could you please let go of my wrists?"_

He let go and muttered something along the lines of an apology. Kyra decided not to pursue it and sat down on a chair by the bed, gently rubbing her left wrist.

"_You know my name, so what's your name?"_ Kyra asked after a moment of silence.

"_Edward Elric."_

Kyra blinked in shock; that was her great-grandfather's name! But, he never mentioned being a cat chimera…or ending up at Hogwarts in her company! If he was her grandfather, than the other boy who fell from the ceiling must be her Uncle Alphonse!

"_Hey, you said we fell from a ceiling, right?"_

"_Yep. Gave Professor Haverbrook quite a shock."_ And just like that, she slipped back into more informal speech. Amazing how a simple name changes everything.

"_Mind telling me where exactly I am? And where my brother is?"_

"_Well…"_ Kyra mulled over her choices. How, precisely, does one go about telling a skeptical alchemist that they ended up in a school for magic eighty years into the future and as a cat chimera? _"For starters, your brother—Al, was it?—he's at St. Mungo's, one of our best hospitals. That's because he looked so malnourished. You are in the medical ward of Hogwarts, a school in the highlands of Scotland. While you don't look nearly as bad as your brother, you aren't exactly…normal-looking…"_

"_Huh?"_

"_You're a kitty-chimera."_

Ed blinked and then slowly reached a hand up to his head. Sure enough, a pair of fluffy, definitely-not-human ears met his fingers. His left eye twitched. _Al…_

"_Also, I should mention it before you're taken by surprise, but this school is dedicated to witchcraft and wizardry. Oh, and the year's 1995."_

Was she always so annoyingly calm? The only thing different about her and Colonel Bastard was that the latter was more of a smug, sarcastic bastard. Kyra seemed completely sincere and rather naive.

"_The first thing wrong with that is that magic doesn't exist. Second, it's 1914."_

"_Maybe before, but apparently you've jumped eighty years into the future. It is 1995. I'm 15, by the way. Magic does exist. Want I should give you a demonstration?"_

"_Go right ahead." This oughta be good…"_

Kyra pulled out her wand and debated what to do. A simple one would be the levitation spell, but that seemed a bit unnecessary, and she wasn't exactly brilliant at Transfiguration. "I guess levitation will just have to do," she muttered as she then debated on what to levitate. Ed was out of the question, as she had no idea if Madam Pomfrey had used any potions on him and she didn't want to risk any negative reactions. Standing up, Kyra turned to face the chair.

"_Wingardium Leviosa."_

The chair began to rise into the air, and Kyra felt herself grin as she always did when performing magic. There was just something…_magical _about performing magic, and Kyra was bound and determined never to lose that childish wonder. She momentarily forgot that there was actually a reason for the display of magic until she caught Ed's shocked expression out of the corner of her eye. Almost immediately, Kyra returned the chair to the floor and turned to face the shocked alchemist.

"_So…yeah. Magic. It exists here. Wizards live separately from non magic people, but really we can go anywhere. If it makes you feel any better, wizards and witches are overall pretty stupid when it comes to things like science. My boyfriend's a pureblood wizard and he still has trouble working a telephone."__ Among other things, _Kyra thought, recalling a rather disastrous encounter between Draco and the washing machine.

"_What the hell are you?"  
_

"_A witch. I thought we'd already made that clear. Anyway, what happened before you got here?"_

"_I was trying to get Al his body back. You're sure it was him?"_

"_I have no idea what he looks like—" __**Liar **__"—but I can take you to St. Mungo's to see him, if you'd like. Well, first I'd have to run it by Professor Dumbledore, but I don't think he'll mind."_

"Ah, Miss Larkston, wonderful to see you made it here in one piece."

Both teens looked at the door to see an old man in blue robes entered the infirmary. Kyra smiled, half out of mere politeness and half out of genuine happiness to see the headmaster of Hogwarts.

"Good afternoon, Professor Dumbledore. _Ed, this is Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts. _Professor, this is Edward Elric."

"Charmed, I'm sure. What language does he speak, Miss Larkston?"

"Amestrian. Draco's helping Professor Snape make a translation potion."

"_Is he as nuts as you?"_ Ed asked, warily eying the elderly professor.

"_No. He's probably crazy then me, but he knows his stuff._ Professor, I was wondering if I might be able to take Edward to St. Mungo's to see his brother?"

"Actually, I had decided to pop in and ask if you'd be so willing as to escort Mr. Elric to Diagon Alley."

"You're enrolling him as a student?"

"He's much too young to be a teacher, and I don't believe Professor Haverbrook would be too inclined to having an assistant. Ah, Professor Snape!"

The Slytherin head entered the room, a vial of a not-exactly-appetizing-looking potion in his hand. Kyra had a feeling that Ed wasn't going to just drink it. Even she wouldn't touch the stuff, and she had had to down more than one of those vials when emergency meetings with other ambassadors of the Wizarding World were called. Nasty stuff that tasted even worse than it smelled, which wasn't exactly pleasant to begin with. Though, maybe she could take him by surprise and get most of it down his throat before he could fight her off—

"_What the hell does he have in his hand and why to I get the feeling it's not for his health?"_

Well, there went that plan. _"It's a translation potion specifically brewed to help us understand each other. Honestly, I'm the only one in the castle right now who speaks Amestrian."_

Ed didn't say anything, but a contemplative look crossed his face.

"_Just take it of your own free will and I won't force-feed it to you."_

"_Why should I?"_

"_Just take it, shorty."_

Ed launched into a rather epic rant, and Kyra just sat there, blinking innocently. Her eyes caught a flower pot sitting by the bed. It was terracotta, and filled with dry soil. She faintly recalled Neville talking about getting some "Muggle" flowers (flowers less likely to maim you, as Kyra liked to call them) into the Medical ward. Must not have finished this particular pot, or Madam Pomfrey had simply forgotten to take care of it, she supposed. Then, the wheels of her mind began to turn.

She looked at Ed.

She looked at the flower pot.

Ed.

Flower Pot.

_Ping! _The idea had finished forming. She picked up the terracotta pot and, while Ed was too distracted to notice, she raised the pot and smashed it down onto his head. Ed was silenced almost immediately.

"Professors, could you mix that potion in with some tea or something? I doubt we'll have much success any other way," Kyra said as she picked up the shards of the pot, deciding to remove the dirt with a simple cleaning spell.

"Was that really necessary, Kyra?" Draco asked as he walked up to her.

"Maybe I did put a little more force into the blow than intended, but he didn't seem like he was going to slow down anytime soon."

"What did you say to him?"

Kyra grinned at Draco. "I called him short."

* * *

**Sorry if Ed seemed at all out of character. We'll probably see Al next chapter when Kyra drags Ed off to Diagon Alley. As far as dealing with the language barrier, I honestly could not see Ed willingly (or knowingly for that matter) take a potion. So, ta-da! ...Kyra really beats on poor Ed, doesn't she? Shoving him off the Astronomy Tower, whacking over the head with a terracotta pot, what's next?  
**

**CHAPTER 105 CAME OUT LAST SUNDAY! I was so thrilled! Now I have to wait another month for 106 to come out...crap. **

**Also, I've been watching a lot of fma AMVs to the instrumental "Requiem for a Dream" by Clint Marshall. The instrumental is pure epic-ness and a lot of the AMVs I've seen are epic too. **

**Anywho, you know the drill!**

**-SakuraLetters  
**


	3. Of Magic Hospitals and Creepy Stores

**-Cautiously pokes head out from behind curtain- Ah! Gomen nasai, Honorable Readers! I meant to get this up sooner, but this is the first bit of peace I've had since the start of April. However, as a reward for being so patient, it is an extra-long chapter -- 8 pages on Word and over 3,000 words long! I hope it makes up for this humble writer's absence. Also, to anyone out there who is also reading "Utopian Requiem", I've got the third chapter almost done and it should be out within a week or two. **

**ALSO! VERY IMPORTANT! I've made a few changes to the second chapter that end up being pretty crucial to the plot. One of the big ones is Kyra's wand. (You'll find out all about that towards the end of the chapter). **

**Disclaimer: I, SakuraLetters, do not own Harry Potter or Fullmetal Alchemist. They are owned by J.K. Rowling and Hiromu Arakawa, respectively. I do, however, own Kyra Larkston and the plot.**

**Now, on with the fic!  
**

* * *

"Oh, come on Ed! It wasn't _that_ bad!" Kyra said with a laugh.

"You slipped me that damn potion! Not only that, but you called me short!"

"Look on the bright side, Ed: we no longer have a problem with the language barrier _and_ we're going to go see your brother." Kyra chirped as she looked at the map.

She had personally never been to St. Mungo's, since she had never actually had to visit a sick witch or wizard. Her mother had been treated in a variety of Muggle hospitals, despite being a Muggleborn witch. There were no wizarding hospitals in America; the American wizarding community was far too spread out for it.

"You smashed a _flower pot_ into my skull," Edward pointed out, glaring at the blonde girl's back. She reminded him so much of Winry it wasn't even funny.

"I needed some way to distract you. Ah, here we are!"

The building before them seemed pretty normal: white washed walls and flower gardens attempting to pretty up the basic message of "Abandon all hope". Edward hated hospitals, which was pretty ironic considering he ended up in them almost every month. Still, Al was in there. Ed had to know, he had to know if he had actually succeeded in getting Al's body back.

"Have you ever been here before?" Ed asked as the trio entered the building.

"Honestly? No. My mom was the only witch I knew until Ambassador Hawthorne died."

"Ambassador Hawthorne?"

"The Wizarding ambassador for the United States until 1987."

"How'd he die?"

"He was killed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial when I was seven. I've been the American wizarding ambassador even since."

"Since you were seven?" Even Ed was a bit skeptical; sure, he may have joined the military when he was twelve after a failed attempt at human transmutation a year earlier, but he hadn't entered the complex world of politics until hardly a year ago. When he thought about it, he still wasn't in to the twisted complexities as deep as Mustang was, but he had learned pretty quick that the military wasn't the most trustworthy thing in existence.

"It's an old system. We're here to see that boy Professor Dumbledore sent over from Hogwarts?" Kyra asked, momentarily detaching herself from the current discussion to get directions to Al's room.

"Are you a relative?"

"Ed here is," Kyra grabbed Ed's jacket sleeve and yanked him to her. "I'm the US Ambassador, Kyra Larkston."

"Second floor, room 238."

"Thank you ma'am," Kyra said as she ushered the boys away from the desk. "Anyway, I said it's an old system. Ambassadors have a special ring that designates them as the ambassador for their particular country. You're an ambassador for life, so there's no hope for a career change. There are no elections to designate ambassadors—after all, the wizarding community is one of the world's greatest secrets. If one ambassador is about to die, he or she passes the ring on to the nearest witch or wizard. Usually children end up receiving the rings, simply because we are universally trustworthy. Once the witch or wizard has received the ring, they're basically kidnapped and taken to a training facility where they learn exactly what their sudden career path entails."

"So, if you're unlucky enough to end up with the ring, you're basically screwed?" Ed asked, summing up Kyra's little speech. By now they had gotten on the elevator, which shocked Ed to no end that a wizard hospital even _had_ them.

"That pretty much sums it up. By the way, the wizarding community makes very good use of elevators in hospitals: it eliminates the threat of a spell backfiring and hurting the patients. The Ministry of Magic uses them too. I don't know why exactly, but they do. Here's our stop."

Edward immediately started looking for room 238, the fear-tainted curiosity—the gut-clenching _need_ to know—pushing him onward. Finally, they found the room. Ed practically ran in, and stopped short as he saw his little brother on the bed, stick thin and weak as hell, but _flesh and bone!_

"Al?"

"_Brother?"_ Al looked at Ed, almost a little shocked to see him. _"Brother! I'm so glad to see you! Who are they? Do you know where we are? How do they—"_

"_Slow down, slugger,"_ Kyra said, stepping in and digging through her purse to find the second potion vial. _"He can't understand you right now. The translation potion screws up your ability to speak your native language for a few days. However, if you down this, we should have no problems."_

Kyra paused for a moment after she managed to fish out the potion. _"Do you know where a nurse might be?"_

"_Why do you need a nurse?"_ Al asked, blinking curiously.

"_I have to find out what exactly they've got you on and if taking this would mess with anything."_ Kyra poked her head out of the room and scanned the hallway. She turned her head and smiled at the guys. "I'm going to go find a nurse. Sorry you can't understand your brother right now, Ed, but if you'll just be patient a little longer, that'll be fixed in no time!" And with that, Kyra left the room.

Edward let out a frustrated sigh and collapsed onto a chair. Figures, he manages to get his brother's body back, but loses the ability to speak to him. He just couldn't win for losing.

Silence descended on the room, growing more and more awkward by the moment. The language barrier had never seemed more tangible, and Kyra wasn't sitting on it to translate this time. Draco was really wishing his girlfriend would hurry up, as his people skills were still recovering from his past attitude. That, and he was pretty sure that Ed didn't like him—as if the wary looks cast his way weren't enough of a hint. Did his appearance scream "Do Not Trust!" or something?

"I'm back!" Kyra chirped as she practically skipped into the room. Honestly, Ed had no idea what drugs the girl was on, but there was no way an attitude that high could be natural. _"Apparently everything checks out, so I can now give this to you without worrying. Would you like it mixed in some tea or do you just want to down it as is?"_

"_How is it as is?"_

"_At first, it's not all that terrible. Sure, you'll probably find tastier things in a dumpster, but it's the aftertaste that really sucks. Mixing it in something helps."_

"_Do you have any tea?"_

"_Yep!"_ Kyra grabbed a glass and muttered a quick "aguamenti" and then added in an iced tea packet she had in her bag. _"It may taste a bit sweeter than you're used to, but you'll be grateful when the sugar snuffs out most of the nastiness."_ Kyra mixed in the potion and handed it to Alphonse. The expression on Al's face was akin to what one might look like upon smelling rotten eggs.

"How is it?' Kyra switched into English, making sure it had worked.

"You said the sugar hides most of it? How bad is all of it?"

Kyra felt ready to vomit just thinking about her first (and rather disastrous) encounter with the potion. "I haven't taken the potion straight since I was seven, but as I recall it was bad enough to have me throwing up for the next week."

"So, you can understand me now, Al?" Ed asked.

Al blinked, suddenly realizing he could. "Yeah. So any idea where we are? And why do you have cat ears?"

"Gee, I wonder _Al._ There weren't any _cat hairs_ on your armor when we activated the circle, were there?"

"If there were, I would probably be the one with the cat ears and tail." Al blinked, suddenly realizing something. "Brother, you did hold that cat before we sealed up the building, you know, because you were throwing the poor thing out."

"You're in England, 1995, at St. Mungo's—a hospital for ailments and maladies of the magical variety." Draco cut in, making sure to include the year and the word 'magic'. Kyra had mentioned that Edward was rather wary to trust the concept of magic, and she doubted this boy would accept it any easier.

Al removed his attention from his brother, who was now mentally running through what happened before the transmutation. "Magic? But, magic doesn't exist."

Kyra pulled out her wand and levitated her handbag. This was the first time Draco had ever seen a witch actively try to convince a Muggle that magic existed, and found Al's stunned expression to be a bit humorous. The somber look hidden in his girlfriend's movements kept him from chuckling at the strange boy.

"If it makes you feel any better, most witches and wizards are complete idiots when it comes to things like science," Kyra said as she returned the bag to its original position.

Silence engulfed the room once again. It was odd to see Kyra being so quite; usually she was bouncing off the walls and was always either laughing or talking or smiling. Suddenly, something seemed to click in the American witch's mind and she jumped up.

"Sorry to run out on you like this, Al, but we have to get to Diagon Alley before the shops close."

"Diagon Alley?"

"It's a major shopping hub for the Wizarding community. Draco and I need get some stuff for the upcoming school year."

"Draco?"

"Oh, that's right! We never introduced ourselves. I'm Kyra Larkston, and this is my boyfriend, Draco Malfoy. We're fifth years at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. As for why we need to go to Diagon Alley, we need school supplies. Dumbledore—the headmaster—decided to enroll your brother as a student. You can join him when you feel up to it, if you'd like."

"Kyra, we should probably get going if we have any hopes of getting everything today."

Kyra sighed and gave Alphonse a cheery smile. "I'll bring Ed back often to visit you until you're released. The doctors said you should be out by the end of August or the middle of September, maybe sooner if things go well."

"See you soon, Al. Get better quick, you hear?"

Al smiled, "I will, Brother. See you soon."

_Was this always how they acted towards each other? _Kyra lightly bit her lip; she hadn't seen her great-grandfather or his brother interact like this. In fact, she doubted she could remember a time when she had seen them together. Her great-grandmother had said that they were inseparable all throughout their rough childhood and even rougher teen years. Kyra swallowed a sigh; there was so much she didn't know.

The trio exited the room and made their way out towards the Floo stations. Kyra explained how it worked as they walked, and when they arrived told Draco to go first.

"Be sure to state your destination very clearly. Harry—you'll meet him when school starts—wasn't clear his first time and ended up in Knockturn Alley, which is a point-blank crappy place to end up no matter what. Really, it isn't that hard. See you in Diagon Alley, Draco."

Draco scattered the powder and stepped into the flames. He vanished as soon as he said the destination. Kyra handed Ed and small handful of Floo powder. "You'll go next, and I'll follow you. Do exactly what Draco did."

_These people are nuts! _Ed thought as he threw the powder into the flames and stepped inside. "Diagon Alley." Suddenly he felt like he was being squeezed through a narrow pipe. Coughing, he tumbled out of whatever the hell had spit him out.

"Are you okay, Ed?"Draco asked as he moved to help the blonde alchemist up.

"You people…are…_insane_!" Edward muttered as he got up. Draco, with good sense, decided to ignore Ed's comment and pulled the smaller boy out the way just in time for Kyra to exit.

"Okay, first things first: we need money. Off to Gringotts!"

After a near-catastrophe at the "bank"—Ed had been absolutely horrified at seeing the goblins, constantly going off about "chimeras"—the trio was off to hopefully less traumatizing places.

"Okay, what should we take care of first? Should we take care of the robes first, or should we get Ollivander's out of the way?" Kyra mulled it over for a moment and then looked at Ed. "Well, since you're the one who needs 'em, what do you want to get out of the way first?"

"Where else do we need to go?"

"Well, Flourish and Blotts to get the textbooks, but I thought we'd do that last since they're open until the most ungodly hours. Not to mention the miniscule things like parchment and caldrons and potion ingredients. Then there's the subject of a familiar. Most kids go with owls because of how the mail works, but some people take an owl and something else. As far as time goes, robes and wands take longer to get than books and pets."

"The robes first then."

Draco wondered if he should ask Madam Malkin to avoid anything pertaining to the word "short". He suppressed a shiver at the memory of Ed's last rant about his height. A glance at his girlfriend told him she was wondering the same thing.

"Ah, Miss Larkston! Mr. Malfoy! How wonderful to see you again. And who is your friend?"

"This is Edward Elric. He's a transfer student, so he needs his robes for Hogwarts."

"Of course. Mr. Elric, would you stand on the stool please?"

"Do you think we should try to get everything today, or come back again tomorrow?" Kyra asked in a low voice as she watched Madam Malkin measure Ed.

"It's already getting late, and I say we get his wand out of the way today," Draco replied. "Ollivander gives me the creeps."

"Agreed. Ed will probably want to stop by Flourish and Blotts today as well. The miniscule things and the pets we can deal with tomorrow, might as well get the big stuff out of the way first."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT HE CAN RIDE A FLEA?"

Both Hogwarts students sighed as Ed burst out into another short rant. Apparently Madam Malkin had said something about needing robes a tad smaller than what she had in stock. Kyra stepped up to do damage control.

"She didn't say that, Ed. Now calm down before you get us thrown out. I'm so sorry about this, Madam Malkin—Ed has height issues."

"HEIGHT ISSUES? YOU WANT HEIGHT ISSUES, I'LL GIVE YOU HEI—"

Whatever else Ed was going to scream was muffled by Draco's hand.

"Draco or I will drop by tomorrow for the robes, Madam Malkin. Once again I am so sorry about this," Kyra apologized as they dragged Ed from the shop.

Without even pausing to give Ed an explanation as to where they were going next, the Hogwarts students proceeded in dragging the seething alchemist towards Ollivander's. Outside the store, the two finally loosened their grip on Ed.

"Okay Ed, after this we'll go to the bookstore—if you behave. Now, Ollivander is about as creepy as a person can get, but he's the best wand maker in the British Isles, perhaps even in Europe."

Draco grinned, "What about America?"

"Ms. Hathaway is the best in the Americas. I wouldn't buy from anyone else."

"Then way are you bringing me here?"

"Because Ed, I can't Apparate and Ms. Hathaway is currently on her honeymoon in Japan. Her husband works there as an English teacher. Mr. Ollivander!"

An elderly man with wispy white hair and wide, pale eyes appeared from the shelves. "Mr. Malfoy, Miss Larkston. What a pleasant surprise."

"Our friend here needs a wand," Kyra said, pushing Ed forward a tad.

"Ah. What is your name?"

"Edward Elric."

"Give me your wand arm, please."

Ed blinked.

"He means your dominant hand," Kyra half hissed.

Now, this posed a bit of a problem. Ed was ambidextrous. While he was originally right handed, getting the auto mail meant having to learn to write with the left hand as well. Not wanting Ollivander to find out about his right arm, Ed handed him the left one.

"Draco and I are going to the Apothecary to get supplies for Potions. We'll be back as soon as we can," Kyra said as the couple exited the shop.

_Great, they leave me alone with this lunatic. _

Ollivander handed him a wand (twelve inches, holly, unicorn hair).

_Why do I get the feeling this is going to end badly?_

Almost as soon as the thought formed, the wand let out a small explosion and caused the store to be filled with smoke. Ed dropped the wand like a hot potato and coughed.

"Definitely not that one. Perhaps this one: ten and a half inches, chestnut, dragon heartstring."

Another failure—this time, several boxes flung themselves off of shelves.

"Very curious. I wonder if…" Ollivander disappeared into the back of the shops, and reappeared after a few moments with three boxes.

"A former apprentice of mine developed a theory early in her apprenticeship. She began to make wands attuned to other flows of energy. One of those designs was made specifically for alchemy. Let's try this one: ten inches, rosewood, heartstring of a chimera."

When Ed picked it up, nothing happened.

"Hmm…I wonder…" Ollivander opened the last of the three boxes he had lined up. Without a word, he snatched the rosewood wand away and replaced it with the new wand.

Almost at once, Ed felt a tingling sensation travel up his arm, his mind barely registering that Ollivander had put the wand in his right hand.

"How fascinating," Ollivander muttered. "That wand is eleven inches, made of alder wood with a raven's feather core. Miss Larkston's wand is ten inches, made of birch wood with a swan feather core. The woman who made those wands based them off of Celtic symbolism and carved transmutation circles into the wood in order to help better direct the flow of the alchemist's energy. However, the only place these wands are common is America. Even the purebloods over there are more alchemist than wizard."

"We're back!" Kyra chirped as she stepped through the doorway. "Did your wand find you yet, Ed?"

"Ah, Miss Larkston. Can you show Mr. Elric your wand, please?"

Kyra blinked, and then pulled off a wooden ring that had been resting innocently on her left middle finger. She held it in her palm and placed her right hand over it. A shining blue light Ed knew so very well poured out from the cracks where her hands didn't quite meet. Kyra then revealed to the world a pure white wand with strips of dark brown running through it.

"Why did you want to see it?" Kyra then noticed the wand in Ed's hand. "One of Miss Hathaway's early pieces? I didn't know you still had these, Mr. Ollivander."

Kyra paid for the wand, and then dragged Ed out of the shop. He couldn't help but notice how eager the young witch was to get out of that shop, and something told him that it wasn't simply because the wand maker creeped her out.

"What's your wand made of, Ed?" Kyra asked as the trio headed to the bookstore.

When he told her, she froze. Draco asked her what was wrong and Kyra waved it off as nothing, dragging the boys into the bookshop, purposely evading the subject. Ed, however, became firmly convinced that there was something the blonde was hiding.

He just didn't know what.

* * *

**There! The third chapter is done! The whole thing with the wands is the result of a rather interesting chat with one of my friends who, like me, is really into FMA and Harry Potter. Sorry that most of this was set up, but the set up is what allows the performance to be stunning. (I hope!) The explanations for the wands are as follows:**

**Kyra's wand is made of birch wood, which corresponds to the first month of the Celtic calender. Birch wood represents renewal, rebirth, cleanliness, purity, and is seen as the seed potential of all growth. The swan feather is also a Celtic symbol of rebirth and life. **

**Ed's wand is made of alder wood, which corresponds to the eighth month of the Celtic calender. Alder wood represents death and resurrection. The raven feather is also a Celtic symbol of death and were viewed as being extremely close to the gods and goddesses.  
**

**Also, a small poll of sorts: Which House do you think Ed should end up in? Also, what type of pet do you think Ed should get?  
**


End file.
